JW ON KEEPING THE GOOD FORM GOING

John Ward will be trying to replicate his side’s recent away form when Barnet visit the Memorial Stadium tomorrow night.

Rovers have picked up six vital points against high flying teams on the road in the last two games, but tomorrow they face another team down near the bottom of League Two.

And the manger believes it is going to be a tricky fixture. He said: “It is the most important fixture because it is the next one.

“People use phrases like ‘six pointer’ but it isn’t, it is three points if we can get it. It is just as important as going to Rotherham and Fleetwood and trying to get three points there.

“We are at home and we will have a good following, but we also recognise that Barnet are in decent form themselves

“It will be one of the toughest games, and that is where we need everyone pulling together.

“We have to try and replicate our form at the Mem. We are still in the transition stage of different players coming in, but the mood is exceptionally good.

“The effort and application has been first class, and if we cannot replicate that we have a problem.

“If we can we have a chance, but it is not easy to do that. It is tough to keep your form going, we have to work hard.”

Rovers would move up a number of places if they were to secure three points tomorrow, and the manager believes that will be a psychological boost to his side.

He said: “It would be excellent to move up a number of places if we win on Friday that is the incentive.

“But if is a big word in terms of trying to get where you want to be. Barnet have a good record and have good players.

“We saw Barnet play at Burton Albion last weekend, and our scouts said they played some very good football and arguably were the best time. We have a difficult job to make that ‘if’ become a reality.”.

The manager also confirmed that there are no new faces expected at the club on transfer deadline day.

He said: “I have done pretty much all my work in the previous weeks. I have never really been a fan of the deadline day signings, unless it is someone you have been pursuing for a while.

“At the moment the job has been done and we are getting on with getting ready for the game.”

And the manager is not planning to bring in any further loan players unless his squad needs bolstering.

He said: “I have five loan players at the moment, and I can only play five, so it is a waste of money if I get six or seven in.

“I don’t think that is the right way to go, and we will only look at that if we need to replenish the squad.”

January has been a fantastic month for Rovers picking up a number of important wins to keep the team in touch with the rest of the pack.

John said: “We could have been cut a drift by now and been floundering a bit, but we have given ourselves a chance.

“I said before I thought there were three or four clubs involved down the bottom, but I would say there were six now, and I don’t know if we can pull anyone else in.

“We have had this really good run, yet we are still in the bottom two, so it is a mammoth task.

“It has been minimised a little bit by staying with the pack, but we have not gone ahead of them yet, and that is the next stage if we can do it.

“It is not easy, as we have to keep winning, and even the big teams cannot win week in and week out.

“We have to accept that there will be some set-backs along the way, and we have got to deal with them.”

And in team news, Eliot Richards is a slight doubt for tomorrow night.

John said: “Eliot has not really recovered from last weekend, and only trained yesterday.

“He will train a bit more today, so I am going to have to wait until match day before I name the side, but everyone else is fit and well.”